SOCASTEE, SC (WBTW) – Many people in our area are ready to get back in their homes, and as if they didn’t have enough to clean up, now, the cleanliness of the flood water has become a real issue.

Jason Boris lives near Rosewood Drive in Socastee, and he says wading through the water to get to his flooded home isn’t the hard part. Instead, it’s the smell.

“Ah, man, it’s like you can smell the sewage that’s seeped into the carpet. So, all that’s going to have to come up,” said Boris.

Friday, Suzy Hanson dealt with the same problem after she tried to get back in her home to make repairs.

Remants of the dirty water are in her kitchen, bathroom, son’s room, and pretty much everywhere else in her home.

“They said don’t do anything until FEMA gets here. We’re trying to save everything, but when we walk in and you open the door, it’s like it smacks you right in the face,” said Hanson.

That’s the case for nearly everyone in the Rosewood community, and when it comes to rebuilding, neighbors say it will take time.

“It’s just a lot of work that we have to do over, and having everyone do it all at once, it’s going to take a while,” said Boris.

Renee Bafalis with FEMA says now is the time to go ahead and register with them if you have damages. If your home is still flooded, she says they will not be able to get to you until the water goes down. Bafalis says it will be the homeowner’s responsibility to let FEMA know when the water is out so they can do their assessment.